SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD: Stories from the Lotus Sutra

Dogen-Zenji so cherished the Lotus Sutra that he actually carved a selection of it into his door. This, the core text of not only Zen but the whole of Mahayana Buddhism, has never lost its appeal among practitioners of the Way. Join us for our SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD: Stories From the Lotus Sutra led by Sensei Joshin Byrnes, Sensei Genzan Quennell

Recent Talks

In the spirit of not turning away from our history, Monshin Nannette Overley invites us to pause before she begins her talk and acknowledge that we are guests on Tewa ancestral homelands, and to remember, respect, and recognize the beautiful wisdom the people and the land both carry. Through paper-making, stories, and poetry, Nannette explores two foundational Buddhist teachings—deep faith in cause and effect, and not turning away—and how the intersection of these two can guide our actions. "If the law of cause and effect is so simple," Nannette asks, "why do we need to have deep faith?"[...]

In acknowledgement of Ash Wednesday, Kigaku Noah Rossetter’s talk begins with a heartwarming look at atonement (at-onement) and its relationship to gratitude, inviting us to remember our role in receiving and causing karma, which can help deepen our experience of interconnectedness. He then launches into a metaphor of ocean navigation, to help elucidate three aspects of our practice: stabilization, realization, and actualization. Noah explains that we continually strengthen our boat by sitting zazen, and we sometimes even embrace the ocean, diving into its depths, where we realize that we were never separate from it to begin with. Kigaku ends the talk by taking some questions from the[...]

Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma talk about the Heart Sutra in more detail and the importance of community. Sensei Kaz discusses the Four Noble Truths and how the Heart Sutra prescribes a freedom from craving. He also explains his four principles for large-scale transformation. Sensei Shinzan relays two stories which illustrate the role of community and the ripple effect of seemingly small acts of kindness.
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Natalie Goldberg asks a fundamental question in this talk: what does it mean to realize ourselves? In answer, she explains, “Realizing ourselves is not what we think realizing ourselves is. It’s not one thing that will do it. If you sit zazen, or if you do writing practice, we’re endless, and we’re not only endless, there’s no beginning or end.” Natalie discusses uplifting political news, advice for living and dying, advice for writing, and, of course, insightful poetry. Quoting the female haiku master, Chiyo-ni, Natalie reads, “Clear water, no front, no back.”[...]

Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma talk about how zazen is an opportunity for us to deal with the issues that accumulate when we try to avoid them in our day-to day-lives. They also discuss the 16 precepts, and one of Dogen’s basic teachings which is that there is no separation between practice and enlightenment.
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Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma explore one of the core teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, the Heart Sutra. This is also known as Prajna Paramita Hridaya, or Heart of Realizing Wisdom Beyond Wisdom. This series addresses many questions: What is emptiness? What is awakening? How can we practice without attempting to attain or achieve anything? Senseis Shinzan and Kaz use a well-proportioned blend of humor and lightheartedness to transmit the wisdom of the Heart Sutra. They explore such themes as gratitude, the benefits of practice, existence, awakening, and freedom.
In the first talk of this sesshin, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and[...]

In Upaya’s 5th year of our Haiku program Sensei Kaz Tanahashi, Natalie Goldberg, Roshi Joan Halifax,and Clark Strand explore this centuries-old art form. Our six-part series includes stories from the speakers which describe their personal experiences with writing haiku, Japanese grammar and some of the more technical aspects of writing haiku, and samples of the many unique forms of haiku which have been written by diverse groups of people over the centuries.
Upaya founder and Abbot Roshi Joan welcomes the participants with these words: “Part of the virtue of being at Upaya is that it is a landscape internally that is also reflected externally, about[...]

As we finish our Haiku weekend, Clark Strand, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi, Roshi Joan Halifax, and Natalie Goldberg share their own haiku and some haiku that they love. Clark reads several of author Richard Wright’s haiku including: In the falling snow, a laughing boy holds out his palms until they are white. Kaz reads his own poem he wrote during the retreat: One-third of Nat’s face expounds her stormy past of haiku. Roshi Joan recalls Kobin Chino Roshi’s life and reads his haiku including: When you shoot an arrow at yourself, make sure your aim is true. To write haiku, Natalie suggests, “Don’t be[...]

Clark Strand reads examples of noted modern haiku and speaks about some of the ways in which modern haiku differ from traditional poetry. From Shōwa period female poet Mitsuhashi Takajo: Climb this tree and you’ll be a she-devil, red leaves in the sunset glow.
For Series description, please visit Part 1.
To access the entire series, please click on the link below:
Upaya Podcast Series: Five Hundred Years of Haiku[...]

Natalie Goldberg and Clark Strand speak about the beginnings of haiku. Clark talks about the collaborative nature of haiku, some of its implicit rules, and the reason for its popularity.
For Series description, please visit Part 1.
To access the entire series, please click on the link below:
Upaya Podcast Series: Five Hundred Years of Haiku[...]